Thermo-electric circuit-breaker.



E. W. LEEPER.

THERMO ELECTRIC CIRCUIT BREAKER.

APPLIoATIoN FILED DB0. 14, 1906.

997,924, Patented July 11,1911.

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UNITED vSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. LEEPER, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0

`FRANK B. COOK., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

THERMO-ELECTRIC CIBCUIT-BBEAKEB.

Original application med Specification of Letters Patent.v Iay 28, 1904,Serial No. 210,808. Dlvidel and this application med December PatentedJuly 11, 1911.

14, 1908. Serial No. 347,873.

The principal objects of my inventlon are vto provide an electro-thermalcut-out or switch which may be adapted for use in connection with eitherlarge or small currents; to provide such an electro-thermal device whichis self-contained, or in other words a complete unit in itself; toprovide simplicity of construction and accessibility in such a device;and to construct such a cut-out or switch so that it may be utilized asa pushbutton device.

This invention is a division of my application entitled thermo-electriccircuit breakers, filed May 28, 1904, Serial No. 210,308.

In my present invention I employ a heatproducmg conductor, preferably astraight piece of resistance wire, upon which is soldered a rotarydetent, or toothed wheel, by heat-susceptible material which is readilyaffected by heat. The heat produced in the said conductor by anabnormally large current therein softens the heat-susceptible materialand thereby allows the said detent to turn upon the said conductor andrelease a spring-controlled mechanism which operates clrcuit controllinmeans. When the heatsusceptible materlalbecomes cool, the said detent isthereby secured 'to the heat-producing conductor and is then ready torengage the spring-controlled mechanism. The heatproducing conductor maybe a solid conductor or a hollow conductor, whichever is required tosuit the conditions under which'.

it 1s to operate.

In this invention the spring-controlled mechanism, the heat-producingmeans, and the rotary detent, are all carrled by a suitable frame orcasing, the said mechanism preferably working 1n guides in the said inthe county of Cook and casing and bein button for resettlng the deviceto operative posltion.

I will more particularly describe my'invention by reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which,--

Figure l is a plan view of the device of the invention, showing same inan operated position; Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view of Fig. 1, takenon line :vf-m, thereof, with portions shown in elevation, showing thedevice in a set position; Fig. 3 is side elevation of the rotary detentsecured to a hollow heat-producing conductor by heat-susceptiblematerial; Fig. 4 is a side view of the rotary detent secured to a solidheat-producing conductor by heat-susceptible mate'rial; and Fig. 5 is across-sectional View of Fig. 4, taken on line w--w thereof.

Like characters refer to like parts in the several figures.

The insulating head or slide h,s is provided with projections z', 5thereon adapted to slide in the grooves j5 j, of guides-d5 d5, and ismounted on the end of pin e, which extends through the front plate b5 tothe push-button f5. The switch blades '/"5 are secured to the head h5,preferably as shown, and are adapted to engage the contact members m5and k, which are insulated from each other by the insulating block Z5,when the switch is closed. The heat-producing conductor o5 carrying thetoothed wheel u which is secured thereto by heat-susceptible material d,is supported by a bracket p5 and a projecting portion of c. The toothedwheel a is preferably provided with a sleeve portion Z) which extendsalong the conductor o,s so as to give a larger soldering surface. Thecatch spring g5 is secured to the head h5 and is adapted to engage atooth c of wheel a when the device is set for operation. When the deviceis set for operation, the switch then being closed, the head h5 is slidalong the guides d5 d5 by means of the push-button f5, until the switchblades 1', engage the contact members m5 and kr, and the catch spring g5engages a tooth c of wheel a and thus holds the head h5 in this positionagainst the tension of the spring g5 which now tends to open the switch.The

provided with a pushcircuit through the device is from line conductor zethrough contact member ma, switch blades 1', contact member la,resistance conductor o5, bracket p5, and line conductor ya.

When an abnormally large current traverses the heat-producing conductor0 the heat produced therein softens the heat-susceptible material d andallows the toothed' wheel a to be turned upon conductor 0, by the springg5, due to the tension of spring g5 which slides the head It, to theposition shown in Fig. 1 and thereby opens the switch, the spring g5beingY released from the wheel a which is now turned to a new positionupon conductor 05. When the heatsusceptible material cools and hardens,the wheel a is resoldered to conductor o,s in its new position. Thedevice may now be reset for another operation, the catch spring g5engaging a new -tooth c of wheel a and thereby holding the head h5 inoperative position against the tension of spring g5. N ow the device maybe operated again by an abnormally large current in the conductor o5.The device may be operated and reset, as just described, as many timesas desired.

The front plate b5 may be mounted to a suitable support in any desirableposition, as, for example, to the face of a switch-board in front of theoperator. The n'position of the push-button f, shows to theoperatorwhether the device is set for operation or is operated.

It will be readily seen from the drawings that the operating spring g5,the head or slide h5, and the switch blades T5, are all carriedvby theguides or casing d5 d5, andvthat the rotary dent a and theheat-producing conductor 05 are also carried by the said guides als d5,thus making a 'self-contained unit of the device.

In Fig. 3, e, is a hollow heat-producing conductor. The toothed wheel a2is secured to the conductor e2 by heat-susceptible material d. b2 is thehub on wheel a2.

I do not wish to limit this invention tothe particular details ofconstruction as herein shown, as many modifications may be made thereinwithout departing from the scope of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An electrical protector unit comprising a rotary detent normally heldagainst operation by heat-susceptible material, heating means associatedwith the heat-susceptible material to soften same upon the passage of anabnormally large current, circuit-controlling means associated with thedetent and controlled thereby, means for placing the circuitcontrollingmeans under control of the detent, a coil spring for operating thecircuit-controlling means and a frame-like support carrying the elementsspecified, the coil spring being within the frame-like support,

a coil spring the plunger er',

all constituting a single unit substantially as described.

2. In an electro-thermal protector, a rotary detent normally heldagainst operation by heat-susceptible material, means for heating theheat-susceptible material to allow theV detent to operate, means forengaging the. detent and tending to operate same, a coil spring, and aplunger adapted to be depressed against the tension of the coil springto set the apparatus for operation, the plunger being operated bythe,coil spring when the apparatus operates.

3. An electrical protector comprising a suitable support, anelectro-thermal switch carried by the support, a plunger for setting thedevice to operative position, and a coil spring against which theplunger is depressed when the apparatus is set, the coil spring beingarranged to operate the plunger upon abnormal electrical conditions inthe device.

4. In a device of the character described, a frame-like support, anelectro-thermal device carried by the said support, a plunger forsetting the device for operat-ion and carried Within the said frame-likesupport, and for'operating the said plunger upon abnormal currentconditions in the device, and also carried Within the said framelikesupport.

5. An electro-thermal device comprising a rotary detent operable uponabnormal electrical conditions, means for engaging the de tent tooperatel same and having a plunger adapted to be depressed to set thesaid engaglng means, and a coil spring acting on the plunger to operatesame when the detent releasesA the said engaging means.

6. An electrical protector unit comprising a. rotary detent operableupon abnormal electrical conditions, means for engaging the detent tooperate same and'thereby control a circuit, a plunger associated withthe sai. engaging means and a coil spring acting on the said plungerwhereby the said engaging means is disengaged from the detent underabnormal electrical conditions.`

7 A n electro-thermal device comprising a pair of guides carrying athermally-operable device, a slide carried between the guides andcarrying switching means, and means for engaging the thermally-operabledevice to operate same under abnormal heating; a plunger attached to thesaid slide and provided with a. push-button to be depressed to set thedevice for operation, and a coil spring surrounding the plunger andacting on the said slide to operate the apparatus, the coil spring 8being put under tension by depressing the push button.'

8. In a device of the character described, a frame-like support, anelectrothermal switch carried thereby, a plunger for setting the switchand carried within the said support, and a coil springacting on the saidplunger whereby the switch is operated upon an excess of current in thedevice.

9. In a device of the character described, a frame-like support, anelectrothermal device comprising a rotary detent operable upon abnormalelectrical conditions and carried by the said support, means forengaging the detent to operate same and having a plunger adapted to bedepressed to set the said engaging means, the plunger being carriedwithin the said frame-like support, and acoil spring actingv on theplunger to operate same when the detent releases the said engagingmeans, the coil spring being also carried within the said `frame-likesupport.

10.`A device of the character described, comprising a pair of parallelguides carrying an electrothermal switch, a slide carried between theguides and carrying a detent for holding the switch in set osition, aplunger attached to the said slide, a push button lon one end oftheplunger for setting the switch for operation, and a coil springsurrounding the plunger and actingon the said slide to operate theswitch, the said coil spring and lunger being carried between the saidgui es and the said coil spring being put under tension for operatingthe switch by depressing the pushbutton.

1l. In apparatus of the class specified, a heat cartridge embodying inits construction both self-soldering thermally-operable excess currentmechanism, and circuit-controlling mechanism 'coperating therewith, saidcartridge having a sliding member operable from the exterior of thecartridge and extending into the same and arranged to reset the cartride after operation.

12. A heat cartridge comprising a heating device, a self-solderingwheel, a spring-actuated plunger extending from the interior to theexterior of said cartridge, said plunger being provided with means forengaging said wheel.

As inventor of the foregoing I hereunto subscribe my name in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses, this 11th day of December, 1906.

EDWARD W. LEEPER. Witnesses:

FRANK B. COOK, FREDERICK R. PARKER.

